In terms of music we know today, there is no band more important in history than The Beatles. When these four young Englishmen came to New York in February of 1964, they changed the world as we know it. Since the beginning of the month of February, there have been numerous celebrations, shows, exhibits, talks, and performances dedicated to the boys from Liverpool, England. On Saturday, February 15, Albany ended their own week of celebration dedicated to the Beatles with a beautiful performance by The Fab Faux at The Egg.
The Fab Faux is comprised of skilled musicians who have worked with a who’s who of the music industry. The main five men are Will Lee, Jimmy Vivino, Rich Pagano, Frank Anello, and Jack Petruzzelli. On some nights, like Saturday, they bring out the four-piece Hogshead Horns, and the two-piece Crème Tangerine Strings. The first set this evening focused on the more acoustic side of The Beatles catalog. A rambunctious “Two of Us” kicked things off with a bang. “Norwegian Wood” saw Vivino bust out his sitar skills, while he let loose on his guitar during “Paperback Writer”. The Hogshead Horns added beautiful textures to “Penny Lane” and “Got to Get You into My Life.” A perfect rendition of “I Am the Walrus” including the Creme Tangerine Strings closed out the set.
In the second set, the band took it to another level. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was outstanding, and had the contribution of the late George Harrison, via soundboard, help out with the ending of the song. At the end of Vivino’s blistering guitar solo, he thanked George and Eric Clapton for the inspiration to a standing ovation. Will bounced around on stage all night like a little kid on Christmas Day, stating how he couldn’t be happier playing this music right now. For “Get Back” he climbed through the audience, never stopping his playing, and getting the crowd up and moving. Rich and Frank’s vocals were amazing all night. Jack took over the stage for “Oh! Darling” and wowed the crowd with a tremendous take on the classic Abbey Road song. The show ended with the ending medley from that album before a one-two punch of an encore of “Twist and Shout” and “Hey Jude.”
The band was in great spirits all night, joking between songs and showing nothing but smiles. The same thing can be said for the audience. There is something about the music of The Beatles, when played right, that there is nothing else to do but surrender yourself to the music and dance to it. Here’s to another 50 years of their music!
Set 1: Two of Us, I’ve Just Seen a Face, ‘Till There Was You, Nowegian Wood, Blackbird, And I Love Her, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away^, Mother Nature’s Son^, Things We Said, Nowhere Man, Tell Me Why, Run For Your Life, Paperback Writer, Penny Lane^, Got to Get You into My Life^, I Am the Walrus^*
Set 2: And Your Bird Can Sing, She’s a Woman, I Feel Fine, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, You Won’t See Me, Lady Madonna^, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da^, Baby It’s You, Ticket to Ride, Eleanor Rigby*, Get Back, Strawberry Fields^*, Oh! Darling, Revolution, Golden Slumbers^*>Carry That Weight*^>The End*^>Her Majesty
Encore: Twish and Shout, Hey Jude
^- with The Hogshead Horns
*- with The Creme Tangerine Strings
For years, Deadheads throughout the Capital District make the trip every Wednesday night to hear some good old Grateful Dead covers at Valentine’s on New Scotland Avenue in Albany, New York (and as of last week, at The Low Beat on Central Avenue). Any one who has attended a Deadbeats show can probably attest to the dedication and talent each member in the band brings to the table to keep the Grateful Dead alive in Albany. You may also likely know Denise Parent, drummer of The Deadbeats as well as many side projects throughout the Upstate music scene. had the opportunity to ask Denise some questions regarding her past within the music scene and her rise as one of the most well-known female drummers in Albany.
Jenni Rose Wilson: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in the music scene.
Denise Parent: I guess I think about how I got started playing music. My mother has been singing since I was in the womb, so I think it really rubbed off on me. She used to be involved in local musical troupes and I used to go watch her shows and regular rehearsals. My mother is a fantastic singer; therefore I had a great musical mentor. I started singing as a young girl and performed at my first talent show at 9 years old. I went on singing in talent shows and the choirs for years.
One day in high school I was sitting in class tapping on the desk with my pencil erasers, and my teacher yelled out, “Join a band!” (Thanks Ms. Molloy). It was like a light bulb went off! I went home and told my parents I wanted to play the drums. That Christmas my brother got me a snare drum and cymbal and I smacked that for about a year before asking my parents for a drum set. For my 17th birthday I got a little Pearl kit. I taught myself how to play by watching MTV, back when they actually played music videos. I joined my first band after playing in my room a couple of months. By 19 I had joined my third band and we played some gigs in the bars in and around Levittown, Long Island. I did take a few drum lessons over those years and learned how to read drum music and play a few necessary rudiments.
I had also been playing around with the guitar as a kid since my older sister played in the folk choir. I had fiddled around with it for years and before you know it I was playing some solo and duo guitar gigs at my brother’s café in Sayville. I kept all the gigs going until I moved up to New Paltz to finish college in 1993. It was there I met the Deadbeats. I started to play with them full-time in 1993 and we were going on the road and playing up and down the East Coast for a few years. We played in all size venues, from great little dive bars to colleges, festivals and music halls. Since then I have been playing gigs regularly. In late 1997, I left the Deadbeats and soon after joined Big Sister, an all female band from Woodstock, NY. Six months after I joined we got signed to Capricorn Records and then recorded a rockin’ CD called So Hi How Are You. We had a few years of playing great gigs like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we were even in Rolling Stone Magazine! That was a really great experience for me and I did have a lot of fun! Unfortunately, Capricorn went bankrupt and we lost our good gigs and our monetary support.
I was a lead singer in most of the bands I was in prior to this, and being a backup singer in Big Sister always left me wanting to sing leads again. It was around this time that the Deadbeats called me and asked me if I wanted to come back and play in the band. When I had been given the opportunity to sing lead again it felt really wonderful. I came back to the Deadbeats on NYE 2000-2001 and have been in the band ever since.
JRW: You have your hand in a number of different musical projects, can you tell us a little bit about each project?
DP: Currently I play in three bands, The Deadbeats, Hemingway’s Cat and Wild Piper. The Deadbeats is a staple in the Albany area, playing a ton of Grateful Dead and classic rock. Since I sing lead, we do Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and other assorted female-singer songs. I love to sing Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, so we do a handful of their songs. Of course I also love singing anything by Jerry Garcia, since I have a true soft spot for singing soulful Gospel and traditional songs. The Deadbeats also have a good amount of original music, of which I sing some of the songs I have written. We have never played the same set twice, and we don’t use a setlist. Mike, Alex, Brian and I have developed a band that has an awesome following, and we do have a special relationship with the crowd every time we play.
Hemingway’s Cat is an all-original band from Woodstock. The music is very eclectic, with songs that sound like jazz, blues, reggae and an almost Middle Eastern feel. I joined that band about three years ago. I was mostly drawn to them because the music has a lot of great rhythms with high energy. When I first met the band they already had recorded a CD, and then we recorded a five song CD called Next to You. When we play we really raise the roof! I also really enjoy playing all of our own music for people who dance and smile while we do it! Wild Piper is an exciting new band, made up of some of the current and former Deadbeats, in addition to members of Raisinhead and Ominous Seapods. It’s a great mix of strong lead vocals, screaming lead guitar, the warm Hammond organ, the funky rhythm guitar all on top of a bass and drums powerhouse duo! Even though this band is in its early stages, the talent and song choices have already wowed audiences. It’s has that “new relationship energy” and we all have an appreciation for each other’s talent. I look forward to where we will go together.
JRW: What is it like being a female in a male dominated craft such as musical production?
DP: I admit over the years I have had a few funny experiences while playing in a band. I have met a bunch of men who have been open minded and wonderful. Of course there are those who tell me I’m pretty good for a girl. I know those guys are trying to be nice, so I see the compliment they are striving for. One night in the mid-90s, I was setting up for a Deadbeats gig in Monticello alongside Mike Johnson, the guitarist. Some guy came over and started talking to Mike, asking him what time the band would be starting and what type of music we played. They talked a little bit while Mike set up his amp and pedals. Then the guy turned to me as I was setting up the drums and asked when the drummer would be getting there. I thought it was a bit funny because I was actually setting up the drum kit when he asked me. I admit it wasn’t the first time I had been asked a question like that. This time I decided to have a little fun with it. Mike and I told him that the drummer was my boyfriend and would be getting there soon. I continued setting up my kit and did a little bit of a soundcheck. He came back over to the stage and said that I sounded pretty good. I laughed a bit with Mike and told the guy I was going to have to start with the band because my boyfriend would be late. I also told him that he taught me a lot, so I could probably be OK for a few songs. After playing a bit I felt guilty for pulling his leg and I came clean. He was very surprised at first, but then he was my biggest fan. Of course there are those other times that aren’t as funny, but I like to focus on the positive.
JRW: What instruments do you play and at what age were you introduced to them?
DP: I sing lead vocals and play drums at the same time. People always tell me they think it’s hard, but I guess I have been doing it for so long I really don’t even notice. Lucky me, I do feel blessed for being given such a great gift. I started playing drums when I was 16. I always tapped on everything as a kid. I used to take all the pots and pans in the house and put them all over my bed and then I would play them like a drum set with my chopsticks or pens, whatever I had handy. I had a lot of fun doing this until one time I was jamming out hard and broke the ball point off the pen. The ink went flying all over the pot and pans and my bed and the carpet and my mom was pissed! I can still remember her face! Fortunately we laugh about that now! Soon after it was clear that I had rhythm I got my first drum set. My parents would let me play anytime 10am-10pm. I would crank up my stereo and the fun would begin. My mom used to clean the house and dance around while I played. My dad would always compliment my improvements. I remember my mom being surprised that I liked reggae and gospel music. My parents were (and still are) very proud of me and were very supportive to my playing drums. When I was 17 I had a party at my sister’s house and asked my friends from school to play. I remember them playing the Beastie Boys and I just got so incredibly charged I knew I had to join a band!
I have been playing the guitar since I was a young girl. My sister gave me her classical acoustic guitar and I would play over all the songs on the radio. I didn’t really know many chords in the beginning, so I would play leads and sing a bit while I plucked around. I started to learn more chords and rhythms when I was around 15. I wrote my first song, on the guitar, “I Hate Goodbyes”, at 17. There is something so nice about being able to pick up my acoustic guitar and sing a song. Even to this day I love to do it. No setup required. No amplification necessary. I have played a few acoustic guitar gigs over my years Upstate, but these days I play the drums at my gigs.
JRW: What are your biggest musical and non-musical influences?
DP: My mother taught me how to sing. My father taught me how to work hard and be responsible for myself. My high school teacher told me to join a band. My religious upbringing has taught me to love people. Both my parents have taught me to thank God and to love and respect others. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, probably because I like to connect to other hearts around me. When I think about all my influences they are widespread. My first concert was Rush at Nassau Coliseum, and that blew my mind. Neil Peart was one of the most intricate drummers I had ever seen. I always loved watching Mick Fleetwood play, and felt like I could really understand his playing. I did notice that we both made some pretty funny faces when we got into it. I love both of the drummers in the Grateful Dead. Mickey Hart has taught me to lead with the toms and to stray from the form and see where it takes me. Billy Kreutzmann showed me how I can add beautiful color to the most basic beats, while holding a whole band together. I have always loved to sing Indigo Girls, Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell songs. Over the years I have followed them and their music and really appreciate the effort they take in crafting a song, and how they sing it. I often get goosebumps when I listen to any one of their songs.
My last few years living on Long Island, my friend Dino Perrucci took me to see this great band called The Volunteers (who later became the Zen Tricksters). They really taught me the music of the Grateful Dead. I did used to go see a lot of Dead shows, but I got an intense 101 from seeing the Tricksters four nights a week for a few years. To this day I credit Jeff Mattson (who now plays with Dark Star Orchestra) and Dino for much of my musical influences. Jeff even gave me guitar lessons back in the day. Just last weekend I went to see him and Rob Barraco play in the DSO and remember how much I learned from both of them. I give them and the Zen Tricksters a lot of credit for helping me learn so much of what I still do today.
JRW: How do you handle mistakes during performances?
DP: If you had asked me that question 15 years ago I would have answered very differently. I remember a time when I would get very upset with myself and have a hard time remaining present to ease and grace after I had made a mistake. I would spend so much time focusing on the mistake that I would be kicking myself during the next few sections of the song. I would not be present to the beauty of anything, and really missed out on so much good. I got hung up on mistakes others would make too. I think I lost sight of all the good and got stuck in insignificance. After doing some helpful introspection and years of different sorts of self-help work, I’ve come to get a huge lesson that has impacted me in every aspect of my life. Nothing is wrong. Its all how I deal with it that really matters. Of course I am not perfect at anything, so accepting that I make mistakes has become easier and easier. And having compassion for me or anyone else that may make a mistake around me comes with that as well. Falling off the beaten path has led me to some incredible moments on and offstage. Of course I love it when I hit the notes well and play the drums spot on, but I welcome whatever I am presented with now, while looking to see what I can learn from it. It really is all good.
JRW: What are the biggest obstacles for a band and what is the hardest part about working in the music industry?
DP: I would love to be able to support myself by writing, recording and playing music. I think most artists I know struggle with being able to play music and travel to reach wider audiences, because it costs money. Therefore they need to have a side job to help them pay rent and eat, and whatever’s left may go towards a little tour. In most cases artists need to find a way to promote their music, and even though the Internet is very helpful for that, we still have to travel to different places to play for them.
JRW: How do you balance music with your life’s other obligations?
DP: Well fortunately my day job at Family Services does accommodate me playing music on a regular basis. I do appreciate having that job, because I recognize all the good that FS does. It also helps that I have a great crew of people that I work with. I also really love just being at home with Anne and all the animals! It does my soul a world of good.
JRW: What advice would you give to other artists who have less experience than you?
DP: I’m not sure I know all the right advice to give. I will say that keeping the joy alive is great for the soul in any regard. Remember the joy that making music brings you, and do it for that reason. I think it is incredible to connect with my band mates and make something special happen. It’s even more wonderful when others can appreciate it as well. Oh yeah, and learn how to harmonize. It works in life as well as in music!
This Thursday the 20th, The Hollow in Albany will host two up and coming bands that are sure to get those dancing feet moving. Both bands were big hits at last year’s Catskill Chill Festival and Backwoods Pondfest, making the Capital District eager to welcome Twiddle and Fikus. The doors open at 8pm with a cover charge of $15 and Fikus set to kick off around 9pm. The Hollow in Albany offers happy hour specials plus a full, diverse menu to those seeking fuel before the show.
Fikus, the five-piece electro funk rock band from New Jersey has contagious melodies and rhythm, setting up an easy groove to get the night flowing. Fikus will be hitting Albany as their last stop in NY in the middle of their tour before heading onto the rest of the Northeast. Twiddle, a quartet from Vermont, covers a wide range of genres with heavy improvisation to keep each show fresh and fun. The band will be heading out to Colorado, with multiple stops on their return trip home to end the tour in April at Ithaca. They will be performing at this year’s Summer Camp, Domefest and Wakarusa. Get tickets to Twiddle and Fikus now.
On February 22nd, Chicago rock-trio Future Rock will return to Red Square, bringing high energy eletronic-rock in a must-see performance.
Future Rock has made an art out of blending the techniques of new age electronic music with standard rock and roll. The use of synthesizers alongside guitar, drums and keys brings a new sound and energy to progressive-rock and electronic dance music. The band has made their presence very known throughout the country and within the festival circuit, releasing five albums and touring extensively. This will be a show you certainly will not want to miss.
Special guests are yet to be announced. For your chance to open for Future Rock at Red Square contact Zen Rose Productions.
On Friday, February 14th, Yarn, a Brooklyn based band with members originally from Schenectady will take the stage at Red Square. These fellas have cultivated a following across the United States to which the fans affectionately call themselves the “Yarmy.” Perhaps it is the incessant touring that attracts old and new fans, but more likely Blake Christiana’s art of song crafting captivates and rivets the world of Roots Americana. The Brummy Brothers will be making their debut appearance in Albany as they open for Yarn.
After spending a few weeks in the recording studio, these bluegrass rockers are ready to stretch their legs for a lively night of song and dance. Eric (mandolin) and Dave Brumberg (upright bass) were joined by Andrew Morris (guitar) and Russell Gottlieb (banjo) in 2012 to form The Brummy Brothers, touring the Northeast heavily. These New Jersey boys would inspire all to “shake their brum.” Doors are at 8 pm, show starts at 9pm. Don’t miss this one! Pick up tickets at the door for only $10.
The Fab Faux, accompanied by the Crème Tangerine Strings and Hogshead Horns will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the arrival of The Beatles in New York with a concert at The Egg on Saturday, February 15th at 7:30 PM.
Unlike Beatles tribute bands who sport wigs and period costumes to recreate a Beatles concert, the Fab Faux instead features some of New York’s top studio musicians – Jimmy Vivino and Frank Agnello (guitar), Will Lee (bass), Jack Petruzelli (keyboards) and Rich Pagano (drums). With a commitment to the accurate reproduction of The Beatles’ repertoire, The Fab Faux will perform a concert of songs rarely or never performed live by the Beatles.
This will include a set of “unplugged” tunes. While the Beatles often used acoustic instruments on their recordings, they were hard pressed to play their quieter material in concert due to the volume of the ecstatic audiences who screamed and cheered through their live performances.
The concert will also feature works from their later recordings, which featured highly developed arrangements, often enhanced with strings and horns. By the time these works were written and recorded, the Beatles had stopped touring so they were never performed in concert.
Tickets are $35-$45 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone – 518-473-1845 – or on line.
Upstate New York only gets a few doses of Umphrey’s McGee in the cold of winter, but they sure heat things up at every stop. Kicking off their three nights in Upstate was a stand-out performance at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park. The venue was packed, more so than it was last time the Chicago prog-rockers came to town, as the word has gotten out and Umphrey’s is becoming a draw who may have outgrown their usual Capital District stomping grounds.
A “Catshot” intro built up the crowd as the six members took the stage. These instrumental intros are unique to Umphrey’s and serve as an excellent way to give the show a rolling start. Picking up a pair of Headphones (more on that in a bit) just as “Phil’s Farm” got going, the solid 15 minute rocker built off “Catshot”, with Bayliss and Cinninger hitting great peaks with start/stops that gave a jolt to the crowd as they began a night of dancing. “Miami Virtue” had Jeff Waful’s lights come alive in a dark jam before bleeding seamlessly into “Professor Wormbog”, which had some Boyz II Men acapella vocals thrown in for a curveball before returning to heavy prog funk.
Warm lights accompanied “Morning Song” alongside Bayliss’ full flex vocals amid soaring guitar peaks. And if “Phil’s Farm” was the first blow of the night, “Mantis” held the knockout punch of the first set, clocking in at a shade under 20 minutes, with a “Jimmy Stewart” section, complete with lyrics.
During the show, I had the unique experience to test out the new “Headphones and Snowcones” feature that is available all Umphrey’s shows this tour. Comfortable and easy to manage, these were quite frankly a welcome accessory to the show. Not only do you get to experience quality, soundboard sound, but the pristine audio environment that creates a 3-D experience for your ears. The sound is crystal clear, and if you have Tinnitus like I do, you can adjust the volume and prevent further damage, while keeping out that hiss that ultimately takes away from the music. The only drawback I can think of is the cost: at $40, plus refundable deposit, it might be out of budget for some, but you do get a UMLive download of the show, so it depends on your personal preferences for how you want to hear the show. Given an opportunity to try this again, I would certainly pay to hear the band sound the way it should be heard.
Opening the second set with “Miss Tinkles Overture”, Umphrey’s brought back a “Jimmy Stewart” jam with additional lyrics. The hard metal rock of Jake Cinninger and Kris Myers tore up “Tinkles”, which can serve equally well anywhere in a set, but stood out perfectly to welcome the crowd back. “Push the Pig” had a dark bass groove from Ryan Stasik, eventually leading into “Roseanna” by Toto. With Umphrey’s, you are virtually assured an 80’s cover and the rarer, the better. Looking around the venue, only the older fans seemed to know the song, mouthing some of the lyrics while the younger fans sang along only with ‘Rose-an-na!’
Although it wasn’t jammed out, “Roseanna” did melt into a full band jam that pushed into the shred-metal of “Go to Hell” and then “Der Bluten Kat”. The last time Umphrey’s was in town, “DBK” clocked in at 30 minutes. This version ended up at only 27 minutes, not including “The Fuzz” that was sandwiched in between. There is no bigger jam vehicle for Umphrey’s than a solid “DBK” and it was great to hear another fantastic version.
A second installment of ‘Hey, Remember the 80s?’ came in the second half of the encore with Kris Myers introduced as Glen Danzig (and Jake Cinninger heading behind the drum kit), as we were about to get the classic metal group’s “Mother”. Myers knows his metal and you haven’t heard a cover done with such accuracy, let alone a cover of Danzig, until you’ve heard Umphrey’s “Mother”. A hot show with electricity teeming throughout the crowd as they dispersed, fans began making plans for the weekend shows in Syracuse and Rochester, part of the luxury of Upstate New York’s proximity to great music towns.
Setlist Set 1: Catshot > Phil’s Farm, Miami Virtue > Professor Wormbog, Morning Song, Crucial Taunt, Mantis Set 2: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Push The Pig > Rosanna > Go To Hell, Der Bluten Kat > The Fuzz > Der Bluten Kat Encore: The Weight Around, Mother
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be bringing their legendary show to Albany’s Times Union Center on May 13. This is part of the first leg of United States dates for Bruce since 2012. Bruce is known for pushing the envelope at concerts, with not only playing his own numbers, but covering great old rock numbers as well as taking requests from audience members.
The last time he came to Albany in 2007, it was Danny Federici’s second to last show as a full member of The E Street Band before passing away in 2008. There have been plenty of changes in the band since that stop in Albany. Clarence Clemons has also passed away, a four-part horn section and a chorus have been added, and on some occasions Tom Morello plays in the band too.
They will be supporting his latest record, High Hopes, which came out last month. Tickets will be going on sale this Friday, February 14 at 10AM. Tickets are going to go quick for these as this is the only New York show of the tour at the moment. Don’t sleep in on Friday and make sure you get tickets to what is going to be one of the hottest shows of the Spring.
Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar, two legendary slide guitarists, played an intimate concert in The Lewis A. Swyer Theatre at The Egg in Albany on Friday January 31st.
The less than 450 person crowd was surprisingly loud as Sonny Landreth took the stage to perform the first few songs solo, just a man and his guitars. With such small venue, every seat had a perfect view of Landreth as he sat down and began the show with “Next of Kindred Spirit.” His fingers easily covered the frets as he slid all over the neck of guitar with a complex simplicity. He rocked the guitar in his arms with care and a laid back attitude that you’d find on a front porch on a warm summer day. “Broken Hearted Road” introduced lyrics full of sorrow with sharp chords that cut right through you. There was complete silence in the crowd as the theatre was filled with the mind blowing humid riffs.
Cindy Cashdollar was greeted by Landreth and the rest of the audience for the duration of the set, and thanked everyone especially Sonny for the thrill of performing together. Upstate’s own Cashdollar brought a raw and edgier sound to the southern blues rock of the evening, her own unique style of danger. Both musicians constantly exchanged smiles throughout the show, adding to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the round room. Landreth encouraged the audience to “let the spirit take you” as they went into “Cherry Ball Blues”, an upbeat blues funk song. “Key to the Highway” a cover song often performed by Eric Clapton, was described as Landreth’s own personal theme song complete with escalating rocking high notes. Cindy Cashdollar frequently smacked her guitar with graceful force and a toe tapping rhythm. Landreth seemed pleased with the show mentioning that they covered all the basics, happy blues, sad blues and everything in between before closing the set with Robert Johnson’s “Walkin Blues” with long drawn out chord attitude from Cashdollar.
This was the first show of The American Roots & Branches series being hosted at The Egg and it set the bar high for the rest of the year. Both Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar are extraordinary musicians who make an unstoppable duo, redefining the blues with southern charm.
Setlist:
Sonny Landreth Solo: Next of Kindred Spirit, 2 Shuffle, Here & After, Broken Hearted Road, South of 1 – 10 Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar: Blues Attack, Cherry Ball Blues, Key to the Highway, Hell at Home, World Away, All About You, It Hurts me too, Prodigal Son, Walking Blues Encore: Bayou Teche
Upstate New York has a strong and authentic sound when it comes to bluegrass music. It’s an old world rebellion mixed with a hopeful heartache for the future that was heard loud and clear in Albany last weekend. Red Square and Guthrie/Bell Productions hosted Eastbound Jesus for two nights for a live recording session album on Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st. The Northern Rock group invited Upstate bands Driftwood and The Blind Spots to share the stage and showcase their folk bluegrass talents. Eastbound Jesus has a dedicated fan base that easily relates to their catchy lyrics, contagious melodies and a love for flannel.
Driftwood, the all string quartet from Binghamton, showed no mercy to their instruments or the audience as they opened the show on Friday night. They are a fierce and savage bunch of sophisticated folks who bring out the best in each other. Their lyrics and melodies follow each other in rounds that create a beautiful chaos of Americana. Driftwood’s music grows, it expands and the acoustics stretch the length of the room and outside the venue. They started with a soft lullaby of “High School Paycheck” to start the evening and the crowd was mesmerized with the mighty stand-up bass notes of Joey Arcuri. Claire Byrne won over many hearts that night as she ignited her fiddle with a burning passion that caught newcomers off guard. “Buffalo Street” was the biggest hit of the set, as the audience quickly picked up on the rhythm from the tambourine, clapping in unison and adoring the harmonies with whistling. Driftwood’s newest self-titled album is available for a free streaming on their website or Soundcloud and be sure to catch them on their tour across the East Coast this spring.
Setlist: High School Paycheck, Words, Lost Indian, Dusty, Buffalo Street, 2 Kill Ya, Brother, Before I Rust, Carby, Outerspace, Sun’s Going Down
Friday night proved to be another fun filled Eastbound Jesus show with lots of flannel, foot stomping and group sing-alongs. The weekend kicked off with “Easy Now” and with the lyrics, “It feels like forever since I’ve known that I’ve been home” there was a great cheer of appreciation and excitement. Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down” was a surprise for fans as it brought out the southern hillbilly in everyone. “North Country Girl” brought out a romantic flair with rolling guitar chords and charming vocals from each member. EBJ welcomed Driftwood’s fiddler Claire Byrne for a few songs, demonstrating that she can hold her own with the boys and brought a graceful yet rowdy style to the set. One of the perks of Red Square is the intimate space giving you the ability to get up close to musicians so that when they each member gets that same crazy look in their eyes; you can feel the music really kick in. EBJ saved some of their most climactic songs for the end such as “Where The Winter Goes” and “Waitin’ On The Sun” with each song building up unlimited possibilities for hard strumming and thunderous rhythm. The night ended with a three-song encore, much to the crowd’s delight who were already thirsty for Saturday’s show.
Setlist: Easy Now, I Wouldn’t Know, Pickin It, East Bound and Down*, Here’s to You, North Country Girl, Sittin by the River, Roll in my sweet Baby’s Arms, Talking to John, Ghost Town, Southbound Train, Corn Whiskey, Doors Open, Tennessee, Maggie’s Farm, Where The Winter Goes, Waitin’ On The Sun, Beat The Breaks
Encore: Out Yonder, Mouthful of Diamonds, Hold On Me Now
*Cover by Jerry Reed
Keep scrolling and Check out Tabitha Clancy’s review and photos from Saturday night below!
The live album party continued in a “Small Town, Saturday Night” fashion, much like Hal Ketchum would say. Eastbound Jesus brought the grit and the grind to Red Square in Albany for a second night of recording. These Greenwich swashbucklers are music machines just pumping out song after song after song but not in a boring factory line kind of way. Their high-energy arrangements are supported by well written lyrical stories. The PBR imbibers are a synchronous target audience of these blue-collar tunes turning the night into a merrymaking group participation event.
Eastbound knows their audience well and seemingly walked the crowd through a warm-up first. “Beat the Breaks,” new to the amassed catalog of tunes, was the only song played both nights. “Without You” is a slow, sweet melodic piece with just the right touch of sadness. Creating a build up, Eastbound kicked it up a notch with “Holy Smokes!” A special treat was in store for the room when Bryan Brundige (trombonist from The Chronicles) and Tony Meier (keys) were called up to “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine,” in a collaborative jamband and calypso groove rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “Turn on Your Lovelight.”
Eastbound Jesus crafted a set of crowd favorites from their discography, new tunes and threw in a few covers for what will soon be a playlist on a live disc. Their punchy personalities, stage camaraderie and homogeneous blend of instrumentation can only mean, “Someday, it’s gonna go down.”
Stay up to date with on Facebook and Twitter for news when Eastbound Jesus’ live album will be released this coming winter/early spring.
Jenni Rose Wilson: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in the music scene.
JRW: You have your hand in a number of different musical projects, can you tell us a little bit about each project?
JRW: What instruments do you play and at what age were you introduced to them?
On February 22nd, Chicago rock-trio Future Rock will return to Red Square, bringing high energy eletronic-rock in a must-see performance.
